Product explainer
Skip the ZIP. Pull Your Real Usage.
Live Link is a ComparePower product that authorizes Smart Meter Texas to share your last 12 months of meter data, then ranks every available plan against your actual kWh — not a 1,000 kWh marketing default.
Last updated: May 2026
Live Link is a ComparePower.com product, the Texas enrollment platform built by the same team behind this site. Clicking opens ComparePower in a new tab.
What it actually does
No more "average household" math.
Every Texas comparison tool asks for two things: your ZIP and your monthly kWh. ZIP determines which plans are available on your TDU. The kWh number determines which plan ranks cheapest.
Most people don't know their real usage. They guess. They pick 1,000 kWh because that's the default, or pull a number from one mild-month bill. The comparison runs against a number that isn't theirs, and the "cheapest" plan that comes back isn't actually cheapest at their real usage.
Live Link removes the guess. You authenticate through Smart Meter Texas — the official state program every smart meter reports into — and authorize ComparePower to pull your last 12 months of meter data. The comparison runs against your actual kWh, summer peaks and winter floors included. The plan ranking reflects what you'd actually pay if you switched today.
How it works
Three steps, about 30 seconds.
- 1
Authenticate through Smart Meter Texas.
Smart Meter Texas is the official state program. Same system your TDU and REP already use to read your meter. You sign in once and approve ComparePower's access. No password sharing. No third-party scraping.
- 2
Your 12-month usage gets pulled in.
ComparePower reads the same usage data your REP uses to bill you — month by month, with seasonal variation captured. Nothing is estimated.
- 3
See every available plan ranked by your real cost.
Each plan's monthly bill is calculated against your actual usage. Bill credits, base charges, minimum-usage fees, and TDU delivery — all applied to your numbers. Enroll in one click once you've picked.
Use Live Link if
- ✓You've lived at the address 6+ months (the usage history is yours).
- ✓You want the comparison to reflect actual seasonal patterns, not a flat 1,000 kWh.
- ✓Your home has a smart meter (near-universal across Texas TDUs).
- ✓You'd rather click through one authentication than dig up an old bill.
Skip it if
- !You're moving to a new address — no usage history exists yet. Use the standard ZIP flow.
- !You're shopping for a future address (comparing markets before relocating).
- !You'd rather browse without signing in — the standard comparison works without an account.
- !You live in a regulated zone (Austin Energy, CPS Energy, El Paso Electric) — Live Link is for the deregulated competitive market only.
Relationship disclosure
How this site and ComparePower fit together.
LightCompanies.com and ComparePower.com are operated by the same team. LightCompanies is the provider-research site — the one you're reading now, focused on company quality, complaints, contracts, and reputation. ComparePower is the enrollment platform — where the actual sign-up with the retail electricity provider you choose happens.
Live Link is a ComparePower product. It's surfaced here because it's the in-network shortcut: if you'd rather skip the ZIP-and-usage entry the standard comparison requires, Live Link does that step for you. Same plans available, same checkout, less typing.
The site doesn't get paid more if you use Live Link than the standard flow. Both routes earn the same flat referral fee when you enroll. Live Link is surfaced because it's a better experience for some users — not because the math favors anyone.
Next step
Pick the path that fits your situation.
How enrollment works
LightCompanies is the research layer. Enrollment happens at ComparePower.com — the same operating team, different surface.